KARACHI: A group of Shia leaders has said that the community would continue to practice Islam as per their jurisprudential interpretation, “which is the constitutional right of every Shia Muslim citizen of Pakistan”, says a press release.

Allama Syed Shehanshah Naqvi, Allama Syed Baqir Abbas Zaidi, Allama Shabbir Maisami and other ulema expressed these views while addressing a joint press conference here on Thursday.

Allama Shehanshah Naqvi said that their joint viewpoint enjoys full support from both Allama Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafari.

They said that the ongoing “malicious hate campaign” in Pakistan was linked with global and regional geopolitical and geostrategic changes.

They said they believe in intra-ummah and intra-humanity (interfaith) unity and peaceful coexistence.

Similarly, they reiterated that all Shia Islamic jurisprudents have forbidden violation of sanctities of other sects. Due to that reason, Shia Islamic leadership never defended violators of sanctities.

They added that the Shia community has an Islamic and constitutional right to live their lives practicing Islam as per their interpretation and nobody should violate this right.

They asked Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to take notice of the “provocative hate campaign”.

The ulema also condemned French magazine Charlie Hebdo for reprinting blasphemous caricatures.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2020